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Dunfermline 1 Hibernian 1: Nicholson snatches replay

THE Scottish Cup should inspire feelings of hope and promise in its entrants. Every year brings a fresh opportunity. But the past can often colour the present and it is now almost 101 years since Hibernian lifted the trophy, while Dunfermline must look back to 1968 for their last triumph. Each fruitless campaign must serve as a painful reminder of how distant their moments of success now are. How both clubs must be relieved to still be in this year’s version.

An intriguing encounter between two sides that had met only seven days previously, when Dunfermline ran out comfortable 3-1 winners at Easter Road, this match bubbled with feeling and intensity. Well-matched and comparable in their strengths and weaknesses, it seemed somehow fitting that neither side had to cast away their Scottish Cup aspirations for another 12 months.